When is a "Deluxe" hardcover of OUTLANDER just too much?

I found out this week that Easton Press will be releasing a Deluxe Illustrated Edition of OUTLANDER on April 7th. This limited-edition hardcover book comes with illustrations by Dennis Lyall.

From the product description:

Features include:
Personally signed by author Diana Gabaldon and artist Dennis Lyall.
Limited to 1,200 hand-numbered copies.
Crafted in premium full-grain leather.
22kt gold deeply inlaid on the "hubbed" spine.
Superbly printed on acid-neutral paper that lasts for generations.
Sewn pages — not just glued like ordinary books.
Handsome printed endpages and a satin-ribbon page marker.
Elegantly edge printed with specially commissioned artwork.

We've seen a number of "special editions" of the OUTLANDER books popping up recently, from Suntup Press, LitJoy, and others -- including the upcoming "Deluxe" 35th Anniversary paperback which Penguin Random House will be releasing in September. So why am I telling you about this Easton Press edition in particular?

Because I was frankly astounded at the price they're charging for this book: a whopping $440.00 (!!) That's awfully steep (outrageous, IMHO) for a single book. It's almost three times what Easton Press charges for one of their "regular" OUTLANDER hardcovers.

Let me say up front that I've purchased books from Easton Press before. They put out high quality hardcovers, and I really like the look of their other hardcovers of Diana Gabaldon's books, which I began collecting about 18 months ago. I think they're classy and elegant and they look terrific on my shelf. (The image below, from their website, gives you an idea of what I mean.)



Having said that: the price of $440.00 for this Deluxe Illustrated Edition is definitely way too expensive for me, and I suspect it's more than even some of the hardcore collectors will be willing to pay. Especially at a time when prices are rising fast in the US, it strikes me as really bad timing on the part of the publisher. Do they really think that the OUTLANDER collectors out there will shell out an exorbitant amount of money for Yet Another Edition of OUTLANDER, no matter how much it costs, just because it has 22kt gold trimmings and "elegant" artwork? (Maybe they do.)

I mentioned this to Diana Gabaldon on TheLitForum yesterday, and I think she was taken aback by the price, too. She replied:

No, I definitely have no input at all with regard to pricing.

Just speaking personally, I'm not interested in any of these illustrated editions, no matter how good the artwork is. The voice in my head going, "That's not what Jamie/Claire/whoever looks like!!" would bother me too much. But it was the price that really caught my attention. That's just way beyond ridiculous for a single book, if you ask me, no matter how fancy it is.

I should note that if you do decide to order this book, that's totally your choice and I respect that! My point is only that by charging such an extreme price for this special edition, they're putting it out of reach of many OUTLANDER fans and collectors who might otherwise have been interested, and I think that's a shame.

What do you think about this? Worth the investment, or just too expensive? Please leave a comment here or on my Outlandish Observations Facebook page.